Puebla – THE HISPANIC BLOG Confusion with Mexican Independence Day Many people outside Mexico mistakenly believe that Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican independence , which was declared more than 50 years before the Battle of Puebla. That event is commemorated on September 16, the anniversary of the revolutionary priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla ’s famous “Grito de Dolores” (“Cry of Dolores”), a call to arms that amounted to a declaration of war against the Spanish colonial government in 1810. The book The Course of Mexican History states “The exact words of this most famous of all Mexican speeches are not known, or, rather, they are reproduced in almost as many variations as there are historians to reproduce them.”The book goes on to claim that “the essential spirit of the message is… ‘My children: a new dispensation comes to us today. Will you receive it? Will you free yourselves? Will you recover the lands stolen three hundred years ago from your forefathers by the hated Spaniards? We must act at once… Will you defend your religion and your rights as true patriots? Long live our Lady of Guadalupe! Death to bad government!

Death to the gachupines!’ Hidalgo’s Grito did not condemn the notion of monarchy or criticize the current social order in detail, but his opposition to the events in Spain and the current viceregal government was clearly expressed in his reference to bad government. The Grito also emphasized loyalty to the Catholic religion, a sentiment with which both Creoles and Peninsulares (native Spaniards) could sympathize; however, the strong anti-Spanish cry of “Death to the Gachupines” (Gachupines was a nickname given to Peninsulares) probably had caused horror among Mexico’s elite. Cinco de Mayo: The History Behind What this Day Truly Means cPhoto: Battle of Puebla In Mexico, the various factions that fought their civil war had borrowed large sums of money from foreign creditors. The fighting devastated Mexico’s economy, and the country had to suspend payments on its debts. Taking advantage of the relative weakness of the United States during the US Civil War , in December of 1861 the governments of France, Great Britain and Spain landed an allied military force at Vera Cruz to protect their interests in Mexico and to try to collect the debts owed to their citizens.

Juárez negotiated with the allies and promised to resume payments, and the British and Spanish troops began to withdraw from Mexico in April, 1862. source unknown The French, however, did not withdraw and instead sent reinforcements to their troops in Mexico. At the time France was ruled by Louis Napoleon, the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte . Louis Napoleon was elected President of France , but after the election he proclaimed himself Napoleon III, Emperor of the French (the British referred to him as “the nephew of the uncle”). While negotiations for the Mexican government to repay its debts were ongoing, the French commander, General Charles Ferdinand Latrille, comte (Count) de Lorencez, advanced on Mexico City from Vera Cruz, occupying the mountain passes which led down into the Valley of Mexico. At this point it became clear that Napoleon III planned to turn Mexico into a colony. The French advance was along a route that had been used several times in the past to conquer Mexico, first by the conquistador Hernan Cortes and most recently by US General Winfield Scott during the Mexican War. Napoleon III France declared war on Mexico, and called on those Mexicans who had fought on the side of the Conservative Party in the civil war to join them.

Napoleon III planned to turn Mexico into an empire ruled by Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Josef von Habsburg, the younger brother of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary. Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Josef von Habsburg General Charles Ferdinand Latrille, Count de Lorencez, was the leader of the French forces – the Corps Expéditionnaire – which numbered about 7,300 men. He had been their commander for about two months. He was confident of victory. He boldly proclaimed, “we are so superior to the Mexicans in race, organization, morality, and elevated sentiments that as the head of 6,000 soldiers I am already master of Mexico.” He knew that less than 6,000 US troops – considered poorly trained and disciplined by European officers – had defeated a Mexican Army of 30,000 men under President General Antonio de Santa Anna (Antonio López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón) and taken Mexico City in 1847.

General Count de Lorencez had over 1,000 more men than US General Winfield Scott, and the Mexican Army facing the French at Puebla numbered about 6,000 men (the French would later say 12,000) – far less than the army General Scott had defeated. Left: Napoleon III, Emperor of the French (Chateau de Versailles); Right: Díaz at Puebla – This painting shows one of the critical moments of the Cinco de Mayo battle. The French assault has begun to break up under the deadly fire of Mexican marksmen from Fort Loreto and the fortified monastery of Guadalupe. Just then, General Porfirio Díaz appears, leading a detachment of Mexican cavalry in a charge against the dispirited French troops. Furthermore, de Lorencez considered his own French troops far better trained and disciplined than the troops fielded by either the United States or Mexico. In order to make his entry into Puebla as impressive as possible, General Count de Lorencez ordered his troops to apply fresh whitening to their gaiters before the attack.

Texas born General Ignacio Zaragoza on Mexico’s 500 Pesos The Mexican Army of the East (Ejército de Oriente), under the command of Texas -born General Ignacio Zaragoza (1829-1862), the vastly outnumbered and poorly supplied Mexicans fortified the town and prepared for the French assault. General Ignacio Zaragoza, took up positions at the town of Puebla (Puebla de los Angeles). This maneuver blocked the French advance on Mexico City. General Ignacio Zaragoza addressed his troops, telling them, “Your enemies are the first soldiers in the world, but you are the first sons of Mexico. They have come to take your country away from you.” Zaragoza ordered his commanders – Generals Felipe B. Berriozabal, Porfirio Díaz (José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori), Félix Díaz, Miguel Negrete and Francisco de Lamadrid, to occupy the Cerro de Guadalupe, a ridge of high ground dominating the entrance to Puebla, and the five forts which surrounded the town.

Of the forts, the two most prominent were situated on the Cerro de Guadalupe on either side of the road to Mexico City — the fort of Loretto to the right, and the fortified monastery of Guadalupe to the left. These were the positions that General Count de Lorencez ordered the Corps. After a brief artillery bombardment the French began their assault. Caught in a devastating crossfire from the Mexican troops manning the loopholes of the two forts, the French line faltered and then broke. The soldiers of the Corps Expéditionnaire charged the Mexican positions two more times, but each attack was repulsed by the withering musket fire of the Mexican troops. As the beaten French began their retreat, Mexican General Porfirio Díaz, at the head of a troop of cavalry, attacked them. Though badly shot up, the Corps Expéditionnaire was able to retreat in good order. They spent the evening of Cinco de Mayo waiting for an attack which never came. The next day, they began to withdraw back down the road towards Vera Cruz.

When word of the defeat reached Napoleon III, he replaced General Count de Lorencez as commander of the Corps Expéditionnaire with General Elias Frederic Forey, and sent 30,000 troops as reinforcements. The French reaction did little to lessen the shock of the defeat in Europe, and particularly in France. The Mexican Army had proved itself capable of standing up to a first-class European army, and defeating it. The victory of the Cinco de Mayo at Puebla is still celebrated today. SUBSCRIBE to The Hispanic Blog to stay on top of the latest latino news, politics and entertainment! Don’t be shy SUBSCRIBE – COMMENT – LIKE ME -CIRCLE ME AND FOLLOW ME If you have any questions, concerns or simply would like to get a quote on my Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media and/or Events services, please feel free to contact me. God Bless and make it a fabulous day!

powered by Influential Access – “Transforming the Ordinary to EXTRAordinary!” – CEO – Jessica Marie Gutierrez – Creator of The Hispanic Blog #thehispanicblog Share this: Cinco de Mayo History Short on Beer, Long on Bloodshed Cinco de Mayo History Short on Beer, Long on Bloodshed The evolution of Cinco de Mayo: from Mexican battle to U.S. bacchanal. View Images Battle of Puebla reenactment during Cinco de Mayo celebrations in Mexico City (file picture). Photograph by Eduardo Verdugo, AP Today revelers across the United States will gather to celebrate the Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo —"May 5" in Spanish. And some U.S. partygoers may be surprised to learn that the Cinco de Mayo they know is largely an American creation. Related Content 5,000-Year-Old Microbrewery Found in China Cinco de Mayo is often mistaken for Mexican Independence Day, which is actually September 16. On that date in 1810, Mexico declared its independence from Spanish rule.

(Related blog post: Cinco de Mayo in any language.) Cinco de Mayo actually commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely defeat of French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Yet Cinco de Mayo is celebrated only sporadically in Mexico, mainly in the southern town of Puebla (see map of Puebla ) and a few larger cities. In recent years, though, Cinco de Mayo has rapidly gained popularity in the U.S., where changing demographics have helped to turn the holiday into a cultural event. Latinos are the largest minority in the U.S. today with 44.3 million people, representing 15 percent of the population, according to a July 2008 U.S. Census Bureau report. A 1998 study in the Journal of American Culture found that the number of official U.S. celebrations of Cinco de Mayo topped 120.

In 2006 the number of official Cinco de Mayo events was 150 or more, according to José Alamillo , professor of ethnic studies at Washington State University in Pullman, who has studied the cultural impact of Cinco de Mayo north of the border. Cinco de Mayo is even celebrated in towns across the U.S. that are predominately non-Hispanic, he noted. Cinco de Mayo, he said, is "definitely becoming more popular than St. Patrick's Day." (Related blog post: Happy Cinco de Mayo !) Cinco de Mayo History: Battle of Puebla In 1862 a Mexican militia led by General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated far better equipped French expeditionary forces on Cinco de Mayo. Emperor Napoleon III had sent French troops to Mexico to secure dominance over the former Spanish colony and install one of his relatives, Archduke Maximilian of Austria, as its ruler. Zaragoza won the battle, but the Mexicans ultimately lost the war. Maximilian became Mexico's emperor for three years before the country reclaimed its independence.

Cinco de Mayo: From Brotherly Love to Chicano Power Cinco de Mayo gained its first popularity in the U.S. in the 1950s and 1960s, partly because of an outpouring of brotherly love, Alamillo says. "The reason it became more popular [in the U.S. during that time] was in part because of the Good Neighbor policy," he said, referring to a U.S. government effort at the time to reach out to neighboring countries. "Cinco de Mayo's purpose was to function as a bridge between these two cultures," Alamillo said. The holiday's popularity really grew in the 1960s, when Mexican-American, or Chicano, activists embraced the holiday as a way to build pride among Mexican Americans, Alamillo says. The 1862 Cinco de Mayo victory carries a strong anti-imperialist message that resonates with many Mexican Americans, experts say. "As a community, we are tough and committed, and we believe that we can prevail," said Robert Con Davis-Undiano , a professor of Chicano studies at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

"That was the attitude of the ragtag Mexican troops who faced and defeated the French in Puebla," he said. "And Mexican Americans, other Latinos, and literally everyone can feel proud and motivated by that message." At the same time, Cinco de Mayo was transformed from a strictly nationalist celebration to a bicultural event that expressed the Mexican Americans' identity, Washington State's Alamillo says. "It allowed for Anglo-Americans to partake in and learn about Mexican culture through Cinco de Mayo," Alamillo said. (Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with pictures of Mexico.) "Mexican Americans by this point were interested in building this relationship, because they were asking for certain political demands and for more resources for the community. "It became a really interesting negotiation festival in a lot of ways." Cinco de Mayo: From Culture to Commercialism Then came the 1980s, and the commercialization of Cinco de Mayo. This, Alamillo says, is when the meaning of Cinco de Mayo changed from community self-determination to a drinking holiday for many people. He says U.S. corporations, particularly those selling alcohol, were eager to tap into the expanding Hispanic population in the U.S.

"It's not just the large number of the Hispanics but also that it's a very young population that is particularly receptive to advertisers," Alamillo said. "Cinco de Mayo became a vehicle to tap into that market." Davis-Undiano, the University of Oklahoma professor, still sees Cinco de Mayo as a positive force that can bring Latinos and non-Latinos together, especially at a time when tensions surrounding the illegal immigration debate run high. How to Make Your Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Muy Grande - Good Food Life How to Make Your Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Muy Grande 0 votes Cinco de Mayo , Events , Festivities What is Cinco de Mayo about anyway, other than a holiday/excuse to eat nachos, tacos, chips, and dip and sip Coronas or Margaritas with your favorite amigos with mariachi music blasting in the background? Does the very thought get you in a festive mood and you’re unsure of your plans this weekend? How about 5 tips (that’s cinco in Espanol) to make your Cinco de Mayo Fiesta muy grande? Numero uno – Brush up on Mexican history As many of us know, the U.S.

seems to make a much bigger deal of Cinco de Mayo than Mexico itself. (Check out some local Puget Sound happenings here .) Did you know the original Cinco de Mayo commemorated an unlikely victory of the Mexican Army over occupying French forces in 1862? Following the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, 4 days later on May 9th, President Juárez declared that the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla would be a national holiday. Though not a federal or widely celebrated patriotic holiday like Mexico’s Independence Day on September 16th, Cinco de Mayo is a national holiday. It is celebrated regionally, most notably in the state of Puebla, where’s it’s known as El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (English: The Day of the Battle of Puebla). Numero dos – Whip up a fresh salsa Did you know salsa outpaced ketchup as the U.S’s favorite condiment in the 90’s?

A report last year on Hispanic Food and Beverages by the Packaged Foods industry found that salsa boasts almost twice the dollar sales of ketchup (though I suspect Sriricacha is on its own meteoric rise). Personally, I’m addicted to freshly made chunky style salsa –it’s a staple in my fridge and I find many uses for it –the usual -tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas, taco salads, chips & salsa, burgers, sandwiches, eggs, (especially omelets) and a dip for practically anything. There are many kinds of salsas on the market –thinner ones, such as chipotle or salsa verde, (atomatillo based), fruit or vegetable- based ones, such as mango or corn salsas –but my favorite of all is the chunkier pico de gallo (or salsa fresa) with plenty of chunks of tomato, onions, cilantro, lime juice, a pinch of salt & jalapeno for a hot, spicy kick! Here’s a delicious recipe for a ‘ Cinco de Mayo Salsa Cruda ’ by Chef John, which also includes a video tutorial for you visual types.

His recipe has most of the elements in my own pico de gallo style salsa, with the addition of Serrano chile peppers, mint, sugar, and oregano –giving it a unique flavor once melded together in the fridge for the suggested hour. Numero Tres -Whip out some fresh salsa moves Cinco de Mayo is a perfect time to get your salsa on –classes in Seattle abound, and this weekend will be a showcase of the finest salsa aficionados around. Feeling shy around the Salsa-nistas on your local dance floor? Why not take some classes –many salsa nights at local clubs offer an inexpensive introductory class before the open dance session, and there are also various studios offering class series, such as The Century Ballroom and Salsa N Seattle . Here is a roundup of some local salsa dance studios to check out. There are also a few Cinco de Mayo cruises happening this weekend –such as the Waterways Cinco de Mayo Cruise 2013 on Lake Washington and Lake Union and the Argosy Cruises Cinco de Mayo Party Cruise on Elliott Bay .

I checked out the Argosy Cruises version several years back with a friend, (now boyfriend) and was way too shy to express myself on the dance floor, but with my Zumba experience now, the inhibition has all but gone by the wayside. I’d definitely check out one of these themed cruises again, especially since the forecast is looking especially promising this weekend! Numero Cuatro – Hit up a Food Truck event Cinco de Mayo is all about socializing, food, and fun in a casual environment. With Food Truck events happening all weekend, you’ll hit all three, and who knows might even make a new amigo while waiting in line for your tamale. May 5: Seattle’s Fremont Mobile Food Rodeo Cinco de Mayo Celebration | Largest Food Truck Festival in the United States Numero Cinco – Take a siesta in the sun It’s predicted to reach 79F this Sunday! –as if you needed an excuse to nap anyway. Grab a blanket and claim your sunny or shady spot this weekend in one of our parks or waterways around the Puget Sound. This post written by Eileen F.

Lambert, The Latina Locavore Battle of Puebla – THE HISPANIC BLOG Confusion with Mexican Independence Day Many people outside Mexico mistakenly believe that Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican independence , which was declared more than 50 years before the Battle of Puebla. That event is commemorated on September 16, the anniversary of the revolutionary priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla ’s famous “Grito de Dolores” (“Cry of Dolores”), a call to arms that amounted to a declaration of war against the Spanish colonial government in 1810. The book The Course of Mexican History states “The exact words of this most famous of all Mexican speeches are not known, or, rather, they are reproduced in almost as many variations as there are historians to reproduce them.”The book goes on to claim that “the essential spirit of the message is… ‘My children: a new dispensation comes to us today. Will you receive it? Will you free yourselves? Will you recover the lands stolen three hundred years ago from your forefathers by the hated Spaniards? We must act at once… Will you defend your religion and your rights as true patriots?

Long live our Lady of Guadalupe! Death to bad government! Death to the gachupines!’ Hidalgo’s Grito did not condemn the notion of monarchy or criticize the current social order in detail, but his opposition to the events in Spain and the current viceregal government was clearly expressed in his reference to bad government. The Grito also emphasized loyalty to the Catholic religion, a sentiment with which both Creoles and Peninsulares (native Spaniards) could sympathize; however, the strong anti-Spanish cry of “Death to the Gachupines” (Gachupines was a nickname given to Peninsulares) probably had caused horror among Mexico’s elite. Cinco de Mayo: The History Behind What this Day Truly Means cPhoto: Battle of Puebla In Mexico, the various factions that fought their civil war had borrowed large sums of money from foreign creditors. The fighting devastated Mexico’s economy, and the country had to suspend payments on its debts.

Taking advantage of the relative weakness of the United States during the US Civil War , in December of 1861 the governments of France, Great Britain and Spain landed an allied military force at Vera Cruz to protect their interests in Mexico and to try to collect the debts owed to their citizens. Juárez negotiated with the allies and promised to resume payments, and the British and Spanish troops began to withdraw from Mexico in April, 1862. source unknown The French, however, did not withdraw and instead sent reinforcements to their troops in Mexico. At the time France was ruled by Louis Napoleon, the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte . Louis Napoleon was elected President of France , but after the election he proclaimed himself Napoleon III, Emperor of the French (the British referred to him as “the nephew of the uncle”). While negotiations for the Mexican government to repay its debts were ongoing, the French commander, General Charles Ferdinand Latrille, comte (Count) de Lorencez, advanced on Mexico City from Vera Cruz, occupying the mountain passes which led down into the Valley of Mexico. At this point it became clear that Napoleon III planned to turn Mexico into a colony.

The French advance was along a route that had been used several times in the past to conquer Mexico, first by the conquistador Hernan Cortes and most recently by US General Winfield Scott during the Mexican War. Napoleon III France declared war on Mexico, and called on those Mexicans who had fought on the side of the Conservative Party in the civil war to join them. Napoleon III planned to turn Mexico into an empire ruled by Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Josef von Habsburg, the younger brother of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary. Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Josef von Habsburg General Charles Ferdinand Latrille, Count de Lorencez, was the leader of the French forces – the Corps Expéditionnaire – which numbered about 7,300 men. He had been their commander for about two months. He was confident of victory.

He boldly proclaimed, “we are so superior to the Mexicans in race, organization, morality, and elevated sentiments that as the head of 6,000 soldiers I am already master of Mexico.” He knew that less than 6,000 US troops – considered poorly trained and disciplined by European officers – had defeated a Mexican Army of 30,000 men under President General Antonio de Santa Anna (Antonio López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón) and taken Mexico City in 1847. General Count de Lorencez had over 1,000 more men than US General Winfield Scott, and the Mexican Army facing the French at Puebla numbered about 6,000 men (the French would later say 12,000) – far less than the army General Scott had defeated. Left: Napoleon III, Emperor of the French (Chateau de Versailles); Right: Díaz at Puebla – This painting shows one of the critical moments of the Cinco de Mayo battle. The French assault has begun to break up under the deadly fire of Mexican marksmen from Fort Loreto and the fortified monastery of Guadalupe.

Just then, General Porfirio Díaz appears, leading a detachment of Mexican cavalry in a charge against the dispirited French troops. Furthermore, de Lorencez considered his own French troops far better trained and disciplined than the troops fielded by either the United States or Mexico. In order to make his entry into Puebla as impressive as possible, General Count de Lorencez ordered his troops to apply fresh whitening to their gaiters before the attack. Texas born General Ignacio Zaragoza on Mexico’s 500 Pesos The Mexican Army of the East (Ejército de Oriente), under the command of Texas -born General Ignacio Zaragoza (1829-1862), the vastly outnumbered and poorly supplied Mexicans fortified the town and prepared for the French assault. General Ignacio Zaragoza, took up positions at the town of Puebla (Puebla de los Angeles). This maneuver blocked the French advance on Mexico City. General Ignacio Zaragoza addressed his troops, telling them, “Your enemies are the first soldiers in the world, but you are the first sons of Mexico.

They have come to take your country away from you.” Zaragoza ordered his commanders – Generals Felipe B. Berriozabal, Porfirio Díaz (José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori), Félix Díaz, Miguel Negrete and Francisco de Lamadrid, to occupy the Cerro de Guadalupe, a ridge of high ground dominating the entrance to Puebla, and the five forts which surrounded the town. Of the forts, the two most prominent were situated on the Cerro de Guadalupe on either side of the road to Mexico City — the fort of Loretto to the right, and the fortified monastery of Guadalupe to the left. These were the positions that General Count de Lorencez ordered the Corps. After a brief artillery bombardment the French began their assault. Caught in a devastating crossfire from the Mexican troops manning the loopholes of the two forts, the French line faltered and then broke. The soldiers of the Corps Expéditionnaire charged the Mexican positions two more times, but each attack was repulsed by the withering musket fire of the Mexican troops.

As the beaten French began their retreat, Mexican General Porfirio Díaz, at the head of a troop of cavalry, attacked them. Though badly shot up, the Corps Expéditionnaire was able to retreat in good order. They spent the evening of Cinco de Mayo waiting for an attack which never came. The next day, they began to withdraw back down the road towards Vera Cruz. When word of the defeat reached Napoleon III, he replaced General Count de Lorencez as commander of the Corps Expéditionnaire with General Elias Frederic Forey, and sent 30,000 troops as reinforcements. The French reaction did little to lessen the shock of the defeat in Europe, and particularly in France. The Mexican Army had proved itself capable of standing up to a first-class European army, and defeating it. The victory of the Cinco de Mayo at Puebla is still celebrated today. SUBSCRIBE to The Hispanic Blog to stay on top of the latest latino news, politics and entertainment!

Don’t be shy SUBSCRIBE – COMMENT – LIKE ME -CIRCLE ME AND FOLLOW ME If you have any questions, concerns or simply would like to get a quote on my Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media and/or Events services, please feel free to contact me. God Bless and make it a fabulous day! powered by Influential Access – “Transforming the Ordinary to EXTRAordinary!” – CEO – Jessica Marie Gutierrez – Creator of The Hispanic Blog #thehispanicblog Share this: Why Cinco de Mayo is more celebrated in the US than in Mexico - CSMonitor.com Why Cinco de Mayo is more celebrated in the US than in Mexico Latest News Cinco de Mayo does not commemorate Mexican Independence Day. Instead, it's about debt collection. By Madison Margolin Children carry a Mexican flag down Vernor Highway during a Cinco de Mayo parade in Detroit. Tanya Moutzalias/AP View Caption of As many Americans across the country celebrate Thursday, May 5, with Mexican food and mariachi bands, some may be surprised to learn that Cinco de Mayo in fact does not commemorate Mexican Independence Day (which actually occurs on September 16).

Cinco de Mayo instead commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely defeat of French troops led by Napoleon III during the Battle of the Puebla on May 5, 1862. Having failed to pay back war debts to European countries, France, Britain, and Spain had finally come to Mexico to collect on the then 52-year-old country's debt. Britain and Spain negotiated and withdrew their troops, but France tried to stake claim on Mexican territory. Confident that they would succeed, 6,000 French troops stormed Puebla de Los Angeles, while Mexican President Benito Juarez, who had been forced to retreat following a French attack on the Mexican capital of Veracruz, gathered a motley team of 2,000. With far fewer supplies than their well-armed opponent, the Mexican forces lost fewer than 100 soldiers, while the French lost almost 500. After fighting from dawn and through the day, French forces retreated in the evening.

Photos of the Day Photops of the weekend In many US cities, where Cinco de Mayo is observed with parades, mariachi music, and festivals, the holiday is a celebration of Mexican culture – as it has been since the 1960s, when Mexican-Americans began to raise awareness of it. "The reason it became more popular [in the US during that time] was in part because of the Good Neighbor policy," said Jose Alamillo, an ethnic studies professor at Washington State University, to National Geographic. Originally a product of the Roosevelt administration, the Good Neighbor Policy concentrated on positive, reciprocal exchanges with countries in Latin America. "Cinco de Mayo's purpose was to function as a bridge between these two cultures," said Dr. Alamillo. According to a Pew report , 11 percent of the American population is of Mexican origin, and Mexicans account for 64 percent of all Latinos in the United States. As of 2012, 33.7 million people of Mexican origin resided in the United States – about the same size as the entire population of Morocco. That includes 11.4 million immigrants and 22.3 million people of Mexican descent born in the United States.

Recommended: Cinco de Mayo: Six fun facts about the Fifth of May The Mexican-American population has grown rapidly over the past generation. In 1970, the United States had fewer than 1 million Mexican immigrants, which rose to a high of 12.5 million in 2008. In the past nine years, the Mexican-born population has declined, as the influx of immigrants from Mexico has slowed. Now at least half of all Mexican-Americans born in the United States have at least one parent born in Mexico. As the day celebrates Mexico's victory over the invaders' efforts to make them a French colony, Cinco de Mayo's " anti-imperialist " message has broad appeal, experts say. "As a community, we are tough and committed, and we believe that we can prevail," said Robert Con Davis-Undiano, Chicano studies professor at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. "Mexican Americans, other Latinos, and literally everyone can feel proud and motivated by that message." Next up Get the Monitor stories you care about delivered to your inbox.

Daily Puebla Archives - BOOK OF DAYS TALES BOOK OF DAYS TALES May 052015 Today is Cinco de Mayo (“Fifth of May”), a celebration in the United States and in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (“The Day of the Battle of Puebla”) The date commemorates the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is sometimes mistaken as Mexico’s Independence Day—the most important national holiday in Mexico—but this is celebrated on September 16. Cinco de Mayo is a much bigger deal in the U.S. than in Mexico. Cinco de Mayo has its roots in the French occupation of Mexico, which took place in the aftermath of the Mexican–American War of 1846–48 and the 1858–61 Reform War.

The Reform War was a civil war and it pitted Liberals (who believed in separation of church and state, and freedom of religion) against the Conservatives (who favored a tight bond between the Roman Catholic Church and the Mexican State). These wars left the Mexican Treasury nearly bankrupt. On July 17, 1861, Mexican President Benito Juárez issued a moratorium under which all foreign debt payments would be suspended for two years. In response, France, Britain, and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz to demand reimbursement. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew, but France, at the time ruled by Napoleon III, decided to use the opportunity to establish a Latin empire in Mexico that would favor French interests: the Second Mexican Empire. Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large French force and driving President Juárez and his government into retreat. Moving on from Veracruz towards Mexico City, the French army encountered heavy resistance from the Mexicans close to Puebla, at the Mexican forts of Loreto and Guadalupe. The 6,000-strong French army attacked the much smaller and poorly equipped Mexican army of 2,000.

Yet, on May 5, 1862, the Mexicans managed to decisively crush the French army, then considered one of the most organized and powerful armies in the world. The victory was a significant morale booster for the Mexican army and the Mexican people at large. It was not a major strategic win in the overall war against the French, but it bolstered the resistance movement against France. It was a bit of a David and Goliath affair that helped establish a sense of national unity and pride for a time. But a year later, with 30,000 troops, the French were able to defeat the Mexican army, capture Mexico City, and install Maximilian I as emperor of Mexico. The French ascendancy lasted only three years, however – from 1864 to 1867. By 1865, with the American Civil War now over, the U.S. began to provide more political and military assistance to Mexico to oppose the French. Napoleon III, facing a persistent Mexican guerilla resistance, the threat of war with Prussia, and the prospect of war with the United States, retreated from Mexico starting in 1866.

The Mexicans recaptured Mexico City, and Maximilian I, fighting a rearguard action, was apprehended and executed, along with his Mexican generals Miramón and Mejía, in the Cerro de las Campanas, Querétaro. On June 5, 1867, Benito Juarez finally entered Mexico City where he installed a legitimate government and reorganized his administration. Had the French succeeded in creating a stable French state in Mexico, it is conceivable that they would have sided with the Confederacy and changed the course of the Civil War in the U.S. They were anxious to open Southern ports from a Union blockade and resume trading with the South. Much better for Lincoln to have a (passive) ally to the south. The observance of Cinco de Mayo in the United States first started in California in the 1860s when, upon hearing the news, Mexican gold miners initiated a grand celebration with songs, fireworks, and speeches. The holiday did not gain much traction until the 1940s with the rise of the Chicano movement, and then spread slowly from California to the rest of the United States in the 1950s and 1960s.

It was still not particularly big and did not become popular until the 1980s when marketers, especially beer companies, capitalized on the celebratory nature of the day and began to promote it. As such Cinco de Mayo has two rather divergent qualities. In places with large Mexican-American populations, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and San Jose, it became an opportunity to display pride in Mexico and Mexican-American heritage. In other places it’s become an excuse to drink quantities of Mexican beer and tequila. In the United States Cinco de Mayo has taken on a significance beyond that in Mexico. On June 7, 2005, the U.S. Congress issued a Concurrent Resolution calling on the President of the United States to issue a proclamation to the people to observe Cinco de Mayo with appropriate ceremonies and activities. Many communities display Cinco de Mayo banners, while school districts hold special events to educate students about the day’s historical significance. Special events and celebrations highlight Mexican culture, especially in its music and regional dancing.

On May 9, 1862, President Juárez declared that the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla would be a national holiday regarded as “Battle of Puebla Day” or “Battle of Cinco de Mayo.” Although Mexican citizens feel very proud of the meaning of the Battle of Puebla, it is not observed as a national holiday in Mexico today. Nonetheless, all public schools are closed nation-wide in Mexico on May 5, and it is an official holiday in the State of Puebla, and in the neighboring State of Veracruz. A few other locations around the world tip their hats to Cinco de Mayo. For example, in the Cayman Islands, in the Caribbean, there is an annual Cinco de Mayo air guitar competition. Love it !! The great hangover cure in Mexico is tripe soup, known in Spanish as menudo or mondongo depending on the region and style of cooking; welcome for the morning after a night of celebration like Cinco de Mayo. I am rather curious about the fact that menudo is legendary as a hangover cure – very common dish in Mexico on New Year’s Day.

My curiosity stems from the fact that the same claim is made of tripe-based soups found in regions as far flung as Romania, Turkey, Korea, and Greece. As a professional anthropologist I have to wonder about such a phenomenon. Did people in the Americas, Europe, and Asia all discover the same wonderful fact independently? Or is this a significant case of cultural diffusion from a single source? Maybe I’ll devote my next research grant to discovering the truth. The Puebla region specializes in green (verde) menudo, but other parts of Mexico have red (rojo) and white (blanco) versions. So let’s have a three-fer today to celebrate the colors of Mexico’s flag. Menudo Verde (Mondongo con Salsa Verde) Ingredients

Question: When in 1862 did the Mexican army claim an unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla immortalizing the day in Mexican history?
Answer: 5th of May